Fairview Baptist Church - Grand Prairie, TX
Proud of the Gospel (6/24)
Locations & Times
Fairview Baptist Church
1202 Small St, Grand Prairie, TX 75050, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
Introduction
The gospel is the good news from god about God’s plan of salvation. The greatest treatise ever written on the gospel is the letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans. Paul wrote of “my gospel” (Rom. 16:25) in contrast to the false gospels of the Judaizers and the false religions. It was his gospel by experience and by revelation. Paul was sure that his gospel was the gospel of Christ, and he was proud of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. “God’s plan of Salvation” according to Paul will be the theme of the next several morning messages.
Paul dictated this letter to the Romans to Tertius, his scribe (Rom. 16:22), from the home of his host, Gaius (Rom. 16:23, 1 Cor. 1:14), in Corinth. Phoebe, a member of the church at Cenchrea, carried it on her journey to Rome (Rom. 16:1-2). Paul probably would have been surprised at the idea that the letter would one day be counted as part of the sacred Scriptures that we hold before us today. However, he would have rejoiced to know that it would profoundly influence succeeding generations to acceptance of the grace of God.
The gospel is the good news from god about God’s plan of salvation. The greatest treatise ever written on the gospel is the letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans. Paul wrote of “my gospel” (Rom. 16:25) in contrast to the false gospels of the Judaizers and the false religions. It was his gospel by experience and by revelation. Paul was sure that his gospel was the gospel of Christ, and he was proud of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. “God’s plan of Salvation” according to Paul will be the theme of the next several morning messages.
Paul dictated this letter to the Romans to Tertius, his scribe (Rom. 16:22), from the home of his host, Gaius (Rom. 16:23, 1 Cor. 1:14), in Corinth. Phoebe, a member of the church at Cenchrea, carried it on her journey to Rome (Rom. 16:1-2). Paul probably would have been surprised at the idea that the letter would one day be counted as part of the sacred Scriptures that we hold before us today. However, he would have rejoiced to know that it would profoundly influence succeeding generations to acceptance of the grace of God.
The occasion and purpose of the letter.
a. Paul had never been to Rome.
i. Many times, he had intended to go but had been hindered.
ii. It is amazing how many of the Christians there he knew personally.
iii. Priscilla and Aquila, he had known well in Corinth.
iv. In Romans 16:5-15 he mentions more than a score of persons by name, some his relatives.
v. Some had become Christians before Paul.
vi. Some had been his fellow prisoners.
vii. All roads in the empire led to Rome.
viii. It is probable that some of those converted were dispersed by the great persecution following the death of Stephen may have gone to the capital city.
ix. From Paul’s conversion about AD 35 until the writing of this letter in about AD 57 or 58 during a three month stay in Greece (Corinth) just before Pentecost (Acts 20:2-6), he had preached vigorously in Europe and Asia.
x. Many of the persons contacted in his ministry now lived in Rome.
xi. Not only did Paul know many Christians, but he prayed for them by name.
b. Only God could know about his secret prayer life, so the apostle calls God to witness that he always remembered them by name whenever he prayed (Rom. 1:9).
i. We are reminded that Jesus prayed for Peter by name (Luke 22:31-32).
ii. Praying for people by name develops good will.
c. When Jesus in grace saved Paul, he also called him to be an apostle (or missionary) to all people.
i. Paul’s calling was to lead people of all nations to obedient faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:5; Acts 9:15-16); 22:14-15).
ii. Among those whom Jesus Christ had effectually called out of sin into salvation were these believers in Rome who are called saints, as indeed are all saved people.
iii. A saint is one who is separated to God and whom God has claimed as his own.
iv. As Paul wrote in the later years to Titus, “He [Jesus] gave himself for us, to rescue us form all wickedness and make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good” (Titus 2:14).
d. The saints at Rome seem to have had more than one sanctuary or meeting place.
i. Some worshiped in the home of Priscilla and Aquila (Rom. 16:5).
ii. Romans 16:14-15 suggests that two other worshipping congregations.
iii. The letter is not addressed to the church in Rome but “to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people [saints]” (Rom. 1:7).
e. It was natural for Paul to want to renew fellowship with the Christians whom he knew at Rome.
i. The good report that had come to him – indeed, that had spread throughout the whole world – concerning the faith of the saints at Rome made him eager to go to them (Rom. 1:8).
ii. However, Paul had a deeper reason for wanting to visit Rome.
iii. God had given him a fruitful ministry among the Gentiles.
iv. His delay in coming to them sooner had been because so many unsaved were at hand to be won that he could not find it in the will of God to pass them by.
f. Conditions had now changed.
i. As soon as he could go to Jerusalem with the offering for the poor Christians (Rom. 15:25-26), he planned to go to Rome.
ii. He expected his presence to be a blessing and he expected to be fruitful.
iii. He expected also to receive a blessing from them.
iv. What blessed fellowship believers have (Rom. 1;11-12)!
v. The most mature Christian can be blessed by Christian fellowship.
g. Paul wanted to preach the gospel where it had not been preached.
1. Beyond Rome was Spain.
2. He purposed in the will of god and with the assistance of the Roman saints to go on to Spain (Rom. 15:24-28).
3. He had prayed “that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you” (Rom. 1:10).
4. He wrote, “And I am sure that, when I come to you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:29).
h. Paul did go to Rome, but not as he had expected.
1. He was arrested at Jerusalem, and after imprisonment in Caesarea, he was sent to Rome as a prisoner in chains.
2. In the providence of God, he could do more for the extension of the kingdom than if he had gone as a free man (Phil. 1:12; Acts 28:30-31).
i. Paul probably had just written the letter to the Galatians in which he defended salvation by grace against the Judaizers and other false teachers.
1. Perhaps he feared that these enemies of the gospel would get to Rome before he did.
2. He wrote this letter to the end that his readers might be established in the faith (Rom. 1:11) and have an accurate understanding of the gospel of God.
a. Paul had never been to Rome.
i. Many times, he had intended to go but had been hindered.
ii. It is amazing how many of the Christians there he knew personally.
iii. Priscilla and Aquila, he had known well in Corinth.
iv. In Romans 16:5-15 he mentions more than a score of persons by name, some his relatives.
v. Some had become Christians before Paul.
vi. Some had been his fellow prisoners.
vii. All roads in the empire led to Rome.
viii. It is probable that some of those converted were dispersed by the great persecution following the death of Stephen may have gone to the capital city.
ix. From Paul’s conversion about AD 35 until the writing of this letter in about AD 57 or 58 during a three month stay in Greece (Corinth) just before Pentecost (Acts 20:2-6), he had preached vigorously in Europe and Asia.
x. Many of the persons contacted in his ministry now lived in Rome.
xi. Not only did Paul know many Christians, but he prayed for them by name.
b. Only God could know about his secret prayer life, so the apostle calls God to witness that he always remembered them by name whenever he prayed (Rom. 1:9).
i. We are reminded that Jesus prayed for Peter by name (Luke 22:31-32).
ii. Praying for people by name develops good will.
c. When Jesus in grace saved Paul, he also called him to be an apostle (or missionary) to all people.
i. Paul’s calling was to lead people of all nations to obedient faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:5; Acts 9:15-16); 22:14-15).
ii. Among those whom Jesus Christ had effectually called out of sin into salvation were these believers in Rome who are called saints, as indeed are all saved people.
iii. A saint is one who is separated to God and whom God has claimed as his own.
iv. As Paul wrote in the later years to Titus, “He [Jesus] gave himself for us, to rescue us form all wickedness and make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good” (Titus 2:14).
d. The saints at Rome seem to have had more than one sanctuary or meeting place.
i. Some worshiped in the home of Priscilla and Aquila (Rom. 16:5).
ii. Romans 16:14-15 suggests that two other worshipping congregations.
iii. The letter is not addressed to the church in Rome but “to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people [saints]” (Rom. 1:7).
e. It was natural for Paul to want to renew fellowship with the Christians whom he knew at Rome.
i. The good report that had come to him – indeed, that had spread throughout the whole world – concerning the faith of the saints at Rome made him eager to go to them (Rom. 1:8).
ii. However, Paul had a deeper reason for wanting to visit Rome.
iii. God had given him a fruitful ministry among the Gentiles.
iv. His delay in coming to them sooner had been because so many unsaved were at hand to be won that he could not find it in the will of God to pass them by.
f. Conditions had now changed.
i. As soon as he could go to Jerusalem with the offering for the poor Christians (Rom. 15:25-26), he planned to go to Rome.
ii. He expected his presence to be a blessing and he expected to be fruitful.
iii. He expected also to receive a blessing from them.
iv. What blessed fellowship believers have (Rom. 1;11-12)!
v. The most mature Christian can be blessed by Christian fellowship.
g. Paul wanted to preach the gospel where it had not been preached.
1. Beyond Rome was Spain.
2. He purposed in the will of god and with the assistance of the Roman saints to go on to Spain (Rom. 15:24-28).
3. He had prayed “that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you” (Rom. 1:10).
4. He wrote, “And I am sure that, when I come to you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:29).
h. Paul did go to Rome, but not as he had expected.
1. He was arrested at Jerusalem, and after imprisonment in Caesarea, he was sent to Rome as a prisoner in chains.
2. In the providence of God, he could do more for the extension of the kingdom than if he had gone as a free man (Phil. 1:12; Acts 28:30-31).
i. Paul probably had just written the letter to the Galatians in which he defended salvation by grace against the Judaizers and other false teachers.
1. Perhaps he feared that these enemies of the gospel would get to Rome before he did.
2. He wrote this letter to the end that his readers might be established in the faith (Rom. 1:11) and have an accurate understanding of the gospel of God.
The Gospel of God.
A. God had promised the gospel by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures (Rom. 1:2; Matt. 1:22).
1. Jesus proclaimed this in Luke 24:25-27, 44-48.
B. The gospel is God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, “who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 1:3-4)
1. This is the answer to the puzzling question Jesus asked the Pharisees in Matthew 22:41-44.
C. The gospel reveals the character of God as righteous and proclaims the salvation that God has in grace provided so that sinful persons can have peace with him (Rom. 1:17).
D. The gospel is for all humankind.
1. There are no limitations of race nor of culture (Rom. 1:13-15; John 3:16; Gal. 3:26-29).
E. Salvation is received by faith.
1. Those justified by faith experience the power of God in making them new people.
2. They have new life that eternal both in quality and induration.
A. God had promised the gospel by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures (Rom. 1:2; Matt. 1:22).
1. Jesus proclaimed this in Luke 24:25-27, 44-48.
B. The gospel is God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, “who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 1:3-4)
1. This is the answer to the puzzling question Jesus asked the Pharisees in Matthew 22:41-44.
C. The gospel reveals the character of God as righteous and proclaims the salvation that God has in grace provided so that sinful persons can have peace with him (Rom. 1:17).
D. The gospel is for all humankind.
1. There are no limitations of race nor of culture (Rom. 1:13-15; John 3:16; Gal. 3:26-29).
E. Salvation is received by faith.
1. Those justified by faith experience the power of God in making them new people.
2. They have new life that eternal both in quality and induration.
Closing
One who has been saved is under obligation to witness to others. In is an obligation of love to the Savior. Refusal to acknowledge a debt does not discharge it. The believer’s debt extends to all people. The Greeks called all other barbarians because their speech sounded life bar-bar. They thought themselves above others. The Jews classed all others as Gentiles, Christ died for all people. We are obligated to witness to all people (Acts 1:8). Let us say with Paul, “I am debtor” (Rom. 1:14). The only way to discharge the debt is to proclaim the gospel. God does not demand more than his disciples can supply. Let us say with Paul, “So, as much as in me is, I am ready” (Rom. 1:15). When Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,” he was really saying, “I am proud of the gospel.” The gospel rightly understood is in accord with the character of God. If there is anything in the gospel of which we are ashamed, the fault is in our understanding of the gospel and not in the gospel.
The whole point of this entire message is this. Can you say, “I am a debtor, I am ready, I am not ashamed”?
One who has been saved is under obligation to witness to others. In is an obligation of love to the Savior. Refusal to acknowledge a debt does not discharge it. The believer’s debt extends to all people. The Greeks called all other barbarians because their speech sounded life bar-bar. They thought themselves above others. The Jews classed all others as Gentiles, Christ died for all people. We are obligated to witness to all people (Acts 1:8). Let us say with Paul, “I am debtor” (Rom. 1:14). The only way to discharge the debt is to proclaim the gospel. God does not demand more than his disciples can supply. Let us say with Paul, “So, as much as in me is, I am ready” (Rom. 1:15). When Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,” he was really saying, “I am proud of the gospel.” The gospel rightly understood is in accord with the character of God. If there is anything in the gospel of which we are ashamed, the fault is in our understanding of the gospel and not in the gospel.
The whole point of this entire message is this. Can you say, “I am a debtor, I am ready, I am not ashamed”?